Asset Watcher

The Asset Watcher monitors folders on a node's local file system and uploads new or changed files to the Asset Manager automatically. The Asset Manager then optimizes them and distributes them to Runner nodes. Content creators, render farms, and scripts can drop files into a watched folder, and the show stays current without an operator.

Use the Asset Watcher for collaborative and live-update workflows where content changes often and the show must stay current without an operator.

How It Works

The Asset Watcher reacts to file changes as the operating system reports them, instead of scanning the folder on a timer.

• Instant detection — new, changed, or deleted files are noticed as they happen, with no waiting for a scan.
• Burst grouping — rapid changes (for example a render farm writing many frames) are grouped into one import instead of one import per file.
• Low overhead — the watcher reacts to changes instead of scanning the folder continuously.

When the watcher detects a change:

1. New files — the file is imported as an asset, copied into the Asset Manager's storage, and optimized with the current codec mapping and quality settings.
2. Modified files — a previously imported source file that changes is re-imported and re-optimized. The new content reaches Runner nodes.
3. Placement — imported files go to the Asset Path set when the watch folder was configured. With no Asset Path, they go to the root of the asset tree.

The watcher uses the same optimization settings (codec mapping, quality, track management) as manually added assets. See Asset Manager Settings.

Startup Behavior

When the Asset Watcher starts, it does two things:

1. Folder structure sync — it recreates the Asset Manager's folder structure inside the watched folder. This shows what is already on the Asset Manager and reduces misspelled asset paths.
2. Upload scan — it uploads every file and folder inside the watched folder that has changed since the last upload or was never uploaded.

Example:

• A single watch folder at C:\watched with no Asset Path.
• The Asset Manager has these folders:
  • videos
  • images
  • audio

During startup:

1. These local folders are created if missing:

• C:\watched\videos
• C:\watched\images
• C:\watched\audio

1. All files already in C:\watched\ are uploaded to the Asset Manager.

Setting Up a Watch Folder

Configure the Asset Watcher per node from the Nodes window:

1. Select the node that will run the watcher and open its Asset Watcher dialog.
2. Choose the Target Asset Manager to upload to. It can be the same node or another node on the network.
3. Click Add Watch Folder and set:

• Watch Folder — the path on that node's local file system to monitor. Use the file browser or type the path.
• Asset Path (optional) — a sub-path in the show's asset tree where imported files are placed. Leave it empty to place them at the root.

1. Click OK to add the folder.
2. Enable the watcher with the heart toggle in the Asset Watcher dialog. Use the same toggle to stop it.

The folder path is validated before the watcher is created. The system checks that:

• The path exists and is accessible (for a local Asset Manager, it is checked as a local disk folder).
• The path does not overlap an existing watch folder. See Limitations.

Asset Path

The Asset Path field sets where watched files are placed in the asset tree. Leave it blank to use the root, or set a slash-separated sub-path.

Example:

• A single watch folder at C:\watched.
• The Asset Manager has these folders:
  • videos
    • draft
    • final

To upload assets from C:\watched into videos/draft, set Asset Path to videos/draft.

Or leave the Asset Path blank. Let the watcher recreate the Asset Manager folder structure inside C:\watched on startup. Then place files in C:\watched\videos\draft.

The Asset Path is an optional way to restrict or map the upload to a specific location.

Removing a Watch Folder

To stop watching a folder, find it in the Asset Manager node's settings in the Nodes window and remove it. Assets imported from the folder stay in the show. Removing the watch only stops monitoring future changes.

Command Prompt

Configure the Asset Watcher from the Producer when possible. You can also start it from a command prompt. This helps when a machine does not run the Producer but must share content.

To start the Asset Watcher from a command prompt:

1. Open a command prompt.
2. Go to the folder that holds asset-watcher.exe.
3. Run the command with the target Asset Manager IP and the folder to watch:

asset-watcher.exe -i <Asset Manager IP> -f <folder path>

Example:

asset-watcher.exe -i 127.0.0.1 -f "c:/media"

Map a watch folder to a specific Asset Path with the -> syntax inside the -f value:

asset-watcher.exe -i 127.0.0.1 -f "c:/media->videos/draft"

This uploads everything in c:/media to the videos/draft path on the Asset Manager. Pass -f more than once to map several folders.

For a full list of options, run:

asset-watcher.exe --help

Watcher Node and Target Asset Manager

The watched folders are local to the node running the watcher. The Target Asset Manager you choose in the dialog receives the uploads, and can be the same node or a different one.

Scenario	Behavior
Target Asset Manager is the same node	Files dropped into a watched folder are optimized on that node.
Target Asset Manager is a different node	The watcher uploads the files to it across the network.

The watched folder path must exist on the node running the watcher. A common mistake is entering a path that does not exist on that node.

Integration with Dynamic Assets

The Asset Watcher works together with Dynamic Assets for automated content rotation:

1. Create a dynamic asset in the show and place it on the timeline.
2. Point the Asset Watcher at a folder where updated content arrives.
3. When a new file arrives, the watcher imports it as a new version of the dynamic asset.
4. The dynamic asset switches to the new version. Every cue referencing it picks up the change.

This suits live content updates, sponsor rotations, and multi-language swaps that happen without an operator.

Reserved File/Folder Names

Certain file and folder names inside a watch folder tell the Asset Manager how to treat the content. These reserved names trigger special handling automatically.

Dynamic Asset Folders

A folder named <name>_dyn_<type> makes the Asset Manager create a Dynamic Asset. The <type> suffix sets the category:

Suffix	Category	Description
_dyn_visual	Visual	Image, video, and SVG content.
_dyn_audible	Audible	Audio and video content.
_dyn_display	Display Data	Projection mapping data such as MPCDI.

Valid examples:

• a_dyn_visual
• b_dyn_audible
• c_dyn_display

Files placed inside a _dyn_ folder become versions managed by that dynamic asset. Each new file extends the version chain. See Dynamic Assets for version behavior.

Image Sequence Folders

A folder named <name>_img_seq makes the Asset Manager treat its contents as an image sequence. Images added to it are converted to a video asset.

Patch an existing image sequence by replacing an image file inside the _img_seq folder. The Asset Manager detects the change and re-processes the sequence with the new frame.

Video Patching

Patch a video asset by adding a new video file with a frame insertion point in its name.

For a video named awesome.mp4, add a file named awesome-1000.mp4. This inserts the frames of awesome-1000.mp4 at frame 1000 of awesome.mp4.

• Only the starting frame is specified. There is no frame range.
• The entire contents of the patch file are inserted at that frame.
• The patch must match the target's resolution, output codec, and color. A mismatch fails the patch.
• The result is a new asset named awesome.p_1, with the suffix incrementing on each patch. It is not an in-place edit.

Use Cases

• Collaborative workflows — content creators drop rendered files into a shared watched folder. The operator's show imports them automatically.
• Live content updates — overwrite files in the watched folder during a show. The watcher detects the change and re-optimizes. The new content reaches Runner nodes when optimization completes.
• Render farm integration — point the watcher at a render output directory. Completed frames and video files import automatically.
• Scheduled content changes — combine the watcher with a scheduled task that copies new files into the watched folder at set times.

Best Practices

• Use a dedicated watch folder. Do not point the watcher at a general folder such as Desktop or Downloads. Use a clearly named folder such as C:\WO_WatchFolder\ to prevent accidental imports.
• Make sure files are fully written. The watcher waits for a file's modification time to settle before importing. To be safe, write to a staging folder first, then move the finished file into the watched folder. On the same drive, a move is atomic and completes instantly.
• Organize with Asset Path. Use the Asset Path field to direct imports into specific subfolders. This keeps the root folder from filling with auto-imported files.
• Clean up the watch folder. The watcher does not delete source files after importing them. Over time the folder fills with files. Archive or remove processed files.
• Test with a single file first. Before a production workflow, test with one file. Confirm import, optimization, and distribution work end to end.

Limitations

• Watch folders cannot overlap. Sibling folders are allowed (for example C:\watched and C:\watched2). Watching a folder and one of its subdirectories is not allowed (for example C:\watched and C:\watched\videos).
• One Asset Watcher per node. A single Asset Watcher process runs on each node. A node therefore uploads to one Target Asset Manager at a time. A lock file prevents a second instance.
• Deleting files locally does not delete assets. Removing a file or folder from the watch folder does not delete the asset on the Asset Manager.
• Moving files locally does not move assets. Moving a file within the watch folder does not move the asset. A new asset is created at the new location.

Related

• Dynamic Assets — version model that the watcher can update automatically.
• Image Sequences — how _img_seq folders become video assets.
• Asset Manager Settings — codec mapping and quality applied to imports.
• Web User Interface — browser-based upload as an alternative to a watch folder.
• Asset Manager Issues — troubleshooting optimization, transfer, and asset problems.